Quarterly Report, January-March 2014: Community Cohesion Initiative

in the east, south, and southwest regions of Afghanistan. The program aims to increase resilience in areas vulnerable to insurgent exploitation by strengthening community capacities, supporting peaceful electoral processes, and countering violent threats to a peaceful transition. CCI focuses on strategically important districts within Kandahar Province in the South, Helmand in the Southwest, and Ghazni, Khost, and Kunar in the East. The program's approach emphasizes community and citizen engagement, and strengthening ties between local actors, customary governance structures, and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA). CCI's implementation strategy involves small grants through a process-oriented, community-driven approach to strengthen linkages between communities vulnerable to insurgent exploitation and positive influencers, both GIRoA and other actors. At the regional level, CCI utilizes both "soft" and "hard" activities to strengthen community resiliencies and linkages between vulnerable communities and customary leadership. The program relies on a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system to direct and improve programming. CCI's M&E system gathers information from multiple levels, including atmospherics and data from third parties, to assess programming success and provide information necessary to improve activities and inform district appraisals. During the reporting period of January to March 2014, CCI witnessed a marked increase in security incidents, with the weeks spanning the end of February and early March being statistically the highest recorded in Afghanistan since 2010. Provinces in the east, south-east, and the south have been areas with the highest increase of insurgent activity. The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troop drawdown continues, and the closure of Forward Operating Bases and Provincial Reconstruction Teams across the country seems to have a direct correlation with the upswing in incidents. The ongoing situation surrounding the non-signing of the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) does not appear to have affected the program directly at this time. The bombing of La Taverna restaurant, murder of a western journalist, and the insider attacks at the Serena Hotel in Kabul have all contributed to changing the atmospherics and perception of safety of internationals in Afghanistan. Sustained threat warnings associated with social venues and other frequented locations have drastically reduced freedom of movement, placing the program on a continued restricted Alert State with instances of Mission Essential and complete Lock down. In terms of GIRoA engagement, CCI has played a vital role in strengthening working relations between provincial and district government officials, community elders, and the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). In Kandahar, CCI efforts to assess programming opportunities in Kandahar's Maiwand District have been affected by the District Governor's arrest on corruption charges in March 2014. In the East, the remote area of Bahrabad in Kunar's Sarkani District saw substantial road rehabilitation work occur, despite increased threats and security issues. The District Governor played a pivotal role in motivating activity during the reporting period, facilitating productive interaction and coordination with CCI teams and communities. Overall, CCI's programming in the second quarter of 2014 has reflected the tone of the country in the lead-up to Election Day, with a focus on promoting peaceful electoral processes and outcomes. These efforts aim to link peaceful elections with improved government service delivery and greater economic opportunity.